Opening
its doors for business 9 February, the European Film Market
at the 2000 Berlinale has been modelled to be the market
of the future, according to market director Beki Probst
"but we have also tried to take with us from the
CineCenter all the qualities which made Berlin a must
for the international film industry," she adds. "The first
big market of the year, the EFM is naturally the place
where business takes off. Placed in the CineCenter for
11 years, I can't help being somewhat nostalgic about
it. But the debis Atrium definitely marks a new start
for us.
"The
CineCenter was always flexible. In the Atrium it is like
whatever you see on the screen is what you get. Still
we have managed to accommodate all our regulars and a
few newcomers although, unfortunately not all of
them."
In
the 2,500m2 atrium on Potsdamer Platz, as high
as Paris' Notre Dame cathedral, the DaimlerChrysler car
exhibition and the Jean Tinguely sculpture have been replaced
by 55 business stands, representing 112 companies (up
10 from 1999).
The
one-and-a-half floors include five major 'umbrella areas',
such as France's Unifrance, which houses 16 enterprises
in a two-floor construction, and the German Boulevard,
with 20 companies crowding into 400m2.
"We
used to claim that we had everything under one roof. We
still have except the screenings. But the 15 cinemas
we programme are all state-of-the-art auditoria, and less
than five and eight minutes away."
Situated
between the free whisky bar and the only toilets in the
market, Scandinavian Films will probably see more visitors
than ever. First-timers include Germany's Kinowelt International
World Sales, USA's Highland Crest, UK's IAC, and Japan's
Kadokawa and Asmik Ace.
From
the CineCenter, Probst has brought with her "the usual
staffers, the Delikatessen Kontor's oyster bar, the business
centre with extended services," adding a cafeteria (besides
privately organised catering), Jameson's whisky outlet...
and plenty of buyers.
Jorn
Rossing Jensen
